Wings of Honor: Tales of Pyrrhia

Chapter 9: A Visionary

It wasn't much to show off, but I introduced Moon to the squad I found myself in control of. She recognized my situation and agreed to help in any way she could. She mentioned this place called Jade Mountain, which sounded like some sort of school or community college. She said more information and supplies were there, and it wasn't even a day's flight away. The sun was setting fast, and our visibility was dropping like a stone.
"We're going to have to head back soon." The Nightwing said to me.
"Already? Is there anything I can do for you? I can fasten a large bed for you to sleep on. We can spare food and supplies. You could spend the night if you'd like." I offered,
"No thank you." I have my winglet to help take care of. "I'll return first thing tomorrow morning. And if you'd like to visit Jade Mountain, we'd be happy to take you there."
I nodded. "Very well. Give me the night to sleep on it. I'll have a better answer in the morning."
"Okay. We'll be back."
"And we'll be here."
With that, Moon rose up and quickly disappeared into the navy blue sky. Only an open space in their formation gave me any idea where she might be.
"So. Talking dragons. You're a dragon whisperer Marvin."
I felt a rough hand on my back. I laughed.
"Apparently so McManis." I looked over my shoulder to meet him. "I don't know what to do with this information though."
"Maybe you could ask them to join on the side of the allies?"
We laughed. But the question nagged at me.
"N...no." I turned back towards my soldier. "This place. All this place, is probably the only place on this earth untouched by this damn war. We came here to end it, did we not?"
"Unfortunately, yes sir." He was already putting two and two together.
"Then there's your answer Corporal. We can't bring the war here. We have to keep this place free.... safe." I looked him dead in the eye. Firelight reflected, flickering in his eyes. "We need to keep this place secret, McManis."
He took a moment to think, then sighed.
"I wholeheartedly agree with you officer. We can't let the Japs find this place, or even our own country. Heaven knows what people will do to these dragons."
We stood there, in the dark, for a little while. In the silence, we collected our thoughts. Listening to the few restless birds and freshly woke crickets, the sounds of a peaceful and safe forest. McManis retired to his cot, while I took a position next to the fire pit.
It was me and Travers on first watch.

I sat in my foxhole, looking up at the moonlit, starry sky. I had seen it many times before out in the field, but it never ceased to amaze me. This place was no exception.
Three moons lit up the sky. All of them in various stages of waxing and waning. I wished my mother was here to see this. She loved the moon, so four Moons, including a dragon? She'd be ecstatic. I could see it now, we'd be on the Lark to Monterey, hop on an ocean liner, and chart our course to this new world. A world in which that future would not exist, could not exist. Thoughts of scenarios played through my mind. What would happen if the Japs won and found this island, there would be massacres like in China. I've heard rumors. Women, children, raped and tortured. Like the Nazis did to their subjects and the Jews. My cousin religion as a Roman Catholic.
I tried to call Mr. Sweeps to clear my mind of these ideas. The pain, the suffering, the war, I couldn't let this get here. These dragons, although they are powerful, have somehow made peace amongst themselves. While I don't expect it to have been a perfect peace, it was peace nonetheless. A single verse echoed in my head, from the good teachings my mother had drilled into me long ago.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they are the children of God."
I was an adopted son of God, I was a Catholic. It was my duty to stop this war, by any means necessary. My mind whirled around to the word of the Pope I heard a while ago, he declared this war a "Just war" which means all gloves were off. We were permitted to kill with extreme prejudice, to prevent the Axis ideals from spreading and causing further suffering and harm. That was my duty, to stop the war, to stop it from spreading. Once again, raising my head to the speckled night, the three moons, I wondered about Moonwatcher. I gathered she was against the war as well, she wanted to help others, to help her friends. She shared my goals, and a means of communication thank God.
Suddenly, a huge headache started forming In my head. The pain made me drop my rifle, my vision reeled.
Where have I felt this before? It was before the crash!

The world spun into a new place, it was alight with a horrible orange glow. Like fire, or a sunset. I turned around to get the situation, then the horrible screams hit me.
A huge wave of terror hit me like an icy sack, sending me to my knees and forming tears. I looked up, there was a mountain, being bombarded by artillery. The inky white contrails of shells. I saw dragons flying, trying to get away, only to be cut down by tracer fire from unseen machineguns. It was a massacre, no one was left unscathed.
I tried getting up, trying to rush to their aid. There was a big cave opening, where dragons and animals tried to huddle in safety. The roof was weak, and would not hold.
"You guys need to get out of here! Stay low! Treetop level flight! As low as you can!"
I tried grabbing a few dragons trying to lead them away, but they stood frozen. Their minds in flashbacks, about even more conflict. They were too big to move, and I was powerless to motivate them. Another wave of pain and suffering hit me as I tried to see outside the cave.
There was a battleship, its four gun turrets pointed directly at us. It fired two of them, draping the ship in dirty brown smoke. A single flag stood, an evil red circle with beams coming out of it. The symbol of the enemy, the empire of the rising sun. I heard another cry, nothing I'd ever heard before. It had dozens of men's voices behind it. I turned to see them. Hundreds of enemy soldiers, bandanas wrapped around their heads, charged up the hill and into the caves.
My men were in trenches carved into the mountain. They fired back but were overrun almost immediately. I felt the presence of death, ripping out my heart and my chest. My eyes widened, I felt like I was dying, keeling over. My hand over my chest, I saw it was covered in blood. I looked up and saw a wooden sign, half on fire and swinging on a final, defiant, support. I translated one word.
"Jade."
This was Jade Mountain, a place of death and mass slaughter. I cried. I cried so hard. I couldn't save them. I couldn't save them from the war. Suddenly, I felt like I was possessed, no longer in control of my own destiny. Then words formed in my mouth.
"Watch the skies for an eagle that flies
Watch the homes for dangers unknown.
Someone is coming to shake the Earth
The tribes will tremble from a mighty imbalance.
Thunder and lightning shall mark their presence.
Be it him, or her, they must prove their worth."
Then I found myself ripped from that reality once more.

I found myself surrounded by the cool, soft dirt of my foxhole.
"Lieutenant?"
I looked up to see Travers standing over me, his weapon in ready position, as if I was a possible threat. A voice seemed to speak quickly.
Is Marvin okay? What the hell was that? He just started talking loudly, but it was strange. It sounded like he was possessed. God, I hope not. "Are you still here Marvin?"
I shook my head, trying to clear the groggyness. "Yeah... I'm still here Travers."
"Then what was that?" He motioned at me, slowly lowering his rifle.
I just looked up to the moons, as if they had the answer.
"I don't know. But you know how I went crazy on the plane?"
I looked back towards my friend. The soldier tentatively nodded.
"I just had another one." I took a deep breath. "And I think our new friends are going to meet the Japs firsthand."

Tonight, I did my best to keep my guard up, keeping Mr. Sweeps on standby to clear my mind at a moment's notice. But I could not remain vigilant and sleep at the same time.
My dream was another airborne operation, this time I was in Normandy, dropping a little ways inland. We encountered lots of Flack, half the plane was incapacitated when shrapnel pierced through and wounded almost everyone in some way. Me and only one other trooper were unharmed. We hooked up to jump, everyone wished us good luck. I still remember that crisp night, it wasn't foggy. It would've been a perfect night to jump, if only there weren't searchlights casting beams on what little clouds there were. Light flack guns sending tracers at shadows in the sky. One spotted me I guess. I was dazzled by a spotlight, tracers flashed around me, overwhelming my ears with cracks. I instinctively let go of the risers, shielding my face to try and see. Explosions filled the air with hellfire, I couldn't notice the wind drifting me over an abandoned farmhouse. I crashed through the badly rotten roof and shingles, and lodged, suspended from the roof.
A wave of warmth flooded me. I thought my legs had broken and I'd gone into shock. But I looked down and saw everything in place. The roof had crumbled below me like a house of cards. Although I heard voices. Germans.
"Oh shit," I whispered.
A yelling came from an adjacent room. Footsteps.
I could only assume they yelled, "In here! In here!"
I tried to get my rifle, but it was tangled up in the risers. Then two Germans appeared below me. Suddenly, my suspenders snapped, and I went down on one of them. My rifle hit him first, knocking him out. His friend at the top of the loft saw me, beginning to move his MP40 at me. I reached for my pistol, drawing it towards him.
A shot rang out.

And I awoke from my dream.